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Tridium Niagara Knowledge Thread

So what is Tridium?
Tridium is the latest buzz word in the Building Automation Industry.

There are three driving factors behind the adoption of Tridium:

A large amount of third-party integration drivers
A distributor model that provides open availability of the product
A SDK that allows developers to customize their own integrations
Tridium is built on Niagara AX (or N4 as Tridium is calling the new platform) which is a proprietary framework.

Tridium itself is the brand name for the product built upon the AX framework. A typical Tridium device is comprised of several open and proprietary protocols provided on a scalable platform from which building operators can design their automation systems. This device called a JACE will be covered in greater detail later.

Tridium is typically delivered through smaller contracting outfits as a secondary product for the larger controls contractors (examples would be Siemens Talon, Johnson Controls Facility Explorer).

However, some companies have thoroughly embraced Tridium as their sole product. As of now, there are three main Tridium brands in the market these brands are Vykon, Honeywell Webs, and Johnson Controls Facility Explorer. (Author’s note, yes I know there are more systems, but I picked the top three for the sake of my fingers).

As I said earlier Tridium is built on the Niagara AX framework. Prior to AX Tridium was built on the R2 Framework. Thus when someone tells you they have a Tridium R2 system they are referring to the framework on which their platform is built.

If you have followed my other posts you will recall that both the TCP/IP and OSI Layer consist of Protocol stacks. Tridium AX as a framework is no different.

The Tridium architecture is built around a series of software layers that contain protocols, functions, and transmission mediums. For those who are familiar with the Top-Down OSI model layer, the Tridium AX software stack may look a little disjointed.

However, I assure you the data flow is built along with OSI model standards and Tridium software functions just like any other protocol stack.

Niagara AX Structures

Bringing integration through embedded programming.

The Tridium Architecture is built around four key structures which each contain their own protocols and processes. These four structures are:

Station– The station is a Java VM (or Virtual Machine) that runs the Niagara AX application. This is one of the reasons Tridium is so liked. Because of the station framework, users can run graphics and development applications through the station rather than needing additional software (usually).
Workbench– This is the engineering tool from which the database is developed, API’s (more on these later) are deployed, and various other engineering actions are conducted.
Daemon– The Daemon processes or as I call them VM background services. Is the functionality to run the background processes that a user does not need to see but are vital for the station to function. If you are a geek like me and you want to know more about Java Daemons, you can read about them here and here.
Web Browser– Ok, if you don’t know what a web browser is then I honestly do not know how you got to my site. That being said, for those of you whose computer mystically ended up on my blog a web browser is a program that you use to access the data on the internet. In the case of Niagara AX the web browser allows the user to perform web service calls and writes via HTTP/HTTPS through the Tridium UI. One of the most common forms of this is the Web Workbench which allows operators to engineer systems directly from a web connection to their local or remote station.
Niagara AX Protocols

The Protocols of Tridium

Tridium through its API’s and Java VM supports a slew of protocols. This platform supports the typical web services protocols that you would expect to find in the TCP/IP stack. Tridium also supports most of the open protocols of the BAS sector such as Lon, BACnet, and Modbus.

These protocols are open but depending on the protocol users are charged a fee for the object licenses or API’s (drivers). Tridium also has its own proprietary protocols, these are described below:

Fox Protocol- Fox protocol facilitates the communications between the stations and the workbench software. This is why when you go to integrate a Web server or a JACE you have to buy drivers that can communicate to your platform.
Because Fox is utilized to communicate between devices without a driver third-party systems cannot communicate to Tridium. Architecturally Fox sits at the top levels or application/transport levels of the TCP/IP Stack. Fox utilizes port 1911 to communicate with the fellow Tridium devices.
NiagarAd- NiagaraAd is the protocol for communication between workbench and daemon services. Whereas many competitive offerings utilize simple web services calls against XML data in their databases Tridium utilizes a proprietary protocol to call upon data.
Niagara AX Platforms
There are three main platforms from which the Tridium station collects and interfaces with the field devices. These devices are:

Tridium JACE’s (Java Application Control Engines)- The JACE is capable of being a standalone supervisory device and will host the station and daemon processes. As of currently, the workbench software cannot be embedded in a JACE.

Breakout of a Tridium Jace

Tridium Supervisors- These devices go by many names, server, host, web supervisor but essentially the supervisor is the machine that is running the Station for the customer’s site. supervisors usually provided enhanced trending, graphics, and alarming. Additionally, the supervisor is capable of hosting the Workbench software.

Tridium AX Software

Client- Not to be confused with a client-server architecture the client is Tridiums way of saying the UI. The client allows the user to connect to the station via a web browser or via the Workbench software.

TridiumTalks
TridiumTalks are a regularly scheduled webinar series hosted by Tridium subject matter experts on topics of interest to the Niagara Community. Each lasts from 45 - 60 minutes and usually features a short presentation, live demo and a question-and-answer session.

Defending your business against cyber threats
Tridium chief architect Kevin T. Smith, author of the white paper Cybersecurity and the IoT — Threats, Best Practices and Lessons Learned, leads this TridiumTalk. Kevin overviews how to develop a strategy to defend against cyber threats, and details the organizational best practices to mitigate risk. Recognized industry expert James Johnson moderates and takes questions. Kevin and James cover the white paper material and provide additional insight during this hour-long TridiumTalk.

How your Niagara migration path just got more straightforward
With the introduction of Niagara AX version 3.8u1 featuring JACE® 8000 support, our next-generation hardware platform that’s optimized for Niagara 4 now optimizes the features of Niagara AX. In this TridiumTalk series, Mike Westerfield, hardware product manager, is joined by industry veteran Scott Boehm of VYKON by Tridium to discuss how advances in the Niagara Framework® such as this one give customers a more straightforward migration path..

Data Visualization with the Niagara Analytics Framework
In today’s information age, it’s not “Big Data” that matters – it’s what you do with it. Learn how you can turn data into actionable visualizations to optimize energy use and proactively diagnose and resolve issues. Join Tridium’s Ross Schwalm for a live demo to see firsthand how easy it is to build dashboards using the Niagara Analytics Framework.

Intelligent Alarming with the Niagara Analytics Framework
From commercial buildings to data centers and manufacturing facilities, businesses are capturing and analyzing real-time data to build intelligent alarms – with significant results. Join Tridium’s Ross Schwalm to learn how you can turn data into actionable information to optimize energy use and proactively diagnose and resolve issues. You’ll also view a live demo to see firsthand how easy it is to enable and maintain intelligent alarms using the Niagara Analytics Framework.

JACE 8000: An in-depth look
Tridium’s powerful new hardware platform is a dramatic revolution in connecting and controlling devices worldwide. See for yourself during this revealing TridiumTalk that covers everything from JACE 8000’s high performance core and WiFi configuration to its simplified licensing and distribution model. You’ll also see the impressive results from case studies completed during Beta..

Niagara 4: The Next-Generation Open Platform
With Niagara 4, Tridium is building on the legacy of the Niagara Framework in new and exciting ways. Get an overview of Niagara 4's features and benefits, and learn how Tridium is enhancing the industry-leading open framework for use in buildings, manufacturing facilities, data centers and more.

Niagara 4 Compatibility and Migration
As Tridium builds the most powerful Niagara platform ever, we're committed to providing our partners with the tools to easily transition from existing Niagara-based systems to Niagara 4. Get a firsthand look in this important overview covering compatibility of existing platforms and migration tools and features, along with a live station migration demo.

Niagara 4 Tagging and Templating
Niagara 4 delivers many notable improvements to help businesses take full advantage of the Internet of Things. Learn how you can maximize the value of tags and relationships, and get a firsthand look with this live demo showcasing Niagara 4's tagging and templating capabilities. You'll understand how to quickly integrate devices into a system and make data readily available for informed decision-making.

JACE 8000 Features and Niagara 4 Licensing
With nearly half a million instances worldwide, Niagara is quickly becoming the operating system of the Internet of Things. And with the anticipated release of Niagara 4 and the JACE 8000 controller, the opportunity to achieve operational excellence is even greater than before. Get an overview of Tridium’s powerful new hardware platform and a look at our new capacity-based licensing designed for simplicity and ease of use.

Cyber security: why it matters
Join Tridium Chief Security Architect Kevin Smith for a comprehensive overview of cyber security. Learn the threats facing systems integrators, developers and end users, what Tridium is doing to help prevent them, as well as best practices.

Best practices for securing Niagara
VYKON works closely with our partners to make cyber security education and training an ongoing emphasis. In this TridiumTalk, Kevin T. Smith, Chief Security Architect at Tridium, provides an overview of best practices for securing Niagara, focusing on such areas as configuration, network security, physical security and user security. This session also covers key security features of Niagara 4, in-depth examples, and a Niagara cyber security “game plan” for your organization.